George, your admirable sense of loyalty and respect for truth is both admirable and welcome in this age of seeming cynicism and poor social etiquette.

Thank you for your impassioned and educating response resulting in illuminating the contributions of a major influence and standard of Ueshiba Aikido, Mitsugi Saotome Shihan. Having a cadre of 25 6th dans, and captained by a preeminent 7th dan, the ASU has certainly done its share in raising the quality of Aikido in the United States and beyond.

As is usually the case, there will always be material facts and events that are not revealed in respect to principles of appropriateness, privacy, relevance, and timing of disclosure. Even as more firsthand accounts surface detailing the significant contributions of the other major influences on American Aikido, both Japanese in origin as well as our own home grown products, a much clearer vision of what has transpired in the building of our Aikido legacy here will emerge. We can only wait with bated breath for such future revelations shared by those in the know, and who have the courage and generosity to share.

Thank you again, George, for helping to establish a sort of template or blueprint, as it were, of accurately, humbly and respectfully revealing an appropriate and workable basis for choosing our leaders, and supporting them in every way possible. Legacies are established by being both correctly and properly acknowledged, and clearly recorded in a way for anyone with an interest to study and to appreciate.